Conception
by Joy1
Summary: (NEW CHAP) The ultimate slayer will be born to Buffy and Spike. Now if they can just keep the Council from taking her or Druscilla from killing her, maybe Hope will live to fulfill her destiny. Stand alone- Continue from Transformation and The Dream.
1. Conception

Title: Conception

Name: Joy        

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

A/N: This is a continuation of the Transformation and The Dream. I think I have given enough background on what I've written so far in the first several chapters for you not to be completely lost. Give it a chance as a stand-alone. If you want you can go back and read the others.

            A trip to LA did not turn out at all like Buffy thought it would. She sighed softly into the chest of her husband. 'Husband,' she turned the term over in her mind. Who'd have thought of Spike as a husband? Then again who'd have thought Spike would voluntarily get his soul back. William hovered under the surface of Spike's skin, arguing with him at moments. Spike chose to get William back when they discovered that he was part of a prophecy about the conception of a dhampire slayer. He felt that for his daughter's sanity and general well being a conscience was a good thing to have. 

            Several things had changed in a short period of time. Buffy's prophecy dreams of a partner or mate for Dawn were fulfilled on this trip. Dawn who was still but fifteen years old found the missing part of her soul in a seventeen year-old wolf shape shifter who ironically was named Wolf. He too had been dreaming of Dawn and fell for her in seconds with the knowledge that she was his other half. He was orphaned the same night he met and claimed Dawn. The teens lay a few floors away on what should be their honeymoon as well. The concept was beyond all rational thought but then the lives of the Summers women were never rational. 

            With his father dead, Wolf was to take over as Ulrich, the head of a Wolf clan. Having never been exposed to any such hierarchy, Wolf for all intensive purposes refused the position leaving his father's clan without a leader. The only leg they really had to stand on to get Wolf out of the position short of his death was the fact the Powers that Be turned him into a mythological beast called a Xex. In either human or wolf form he bore wings if he chose to. Together Dawn and Wolf could open portals and did restore Spike's soul as well as giving Angel his soul curse free. 

The only member of his father's clan Wolf was at all familiar with was his priest, Father Gabriel who had married he and Dawn. Gabriel had plans of his own. He was present for a great deal of discussion of the dhampire slayer to be born. It was his hope to train the child in the arts that he as a wolf/vampire mix could teach. He laid before Angel and Spike the knowledge that not only was the dhampire slayer a prophecy that was known by others but that the Watcher's Council had been trying for years to prompt it to happen. This left Faith in danger as the current slayer since they couldn't control her. They would want a young slayer who would follow orders like taking the baby. The Council was not above killing their own slayer to gain control over the situation. 

Buffy lay staring at the ceiling happy with the knowledge that she was indeed pregnant with a child she and Spike were calling Hope. This child made life very complicated but explained why Wolf was a necessity in their lives at the present moment. Wolf and Dawn together could decimate vampires, demons, and shape shifters easily. Wolf endured the transformation to become a Xex so he could help protect Hope while Buffy was pregnant and beyond. The Powers had let themselves be known by letting their heavenly messengers be seen in the transformation of Wolf and the conception of Hope. Now as Spike slept, Buffy marveled at the translucent hands that ran over the air above her body. Life would come crashing in again once they left that room, but for the moment she just basked in the love of her husband and the care of the Observers. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Angel Investigations."

"Wesley? It's Xander," the Scooby said to the former watcher. "We made it back to Sunnydale unscathed. Can I talk to Willow?"

"Sure," Wesley said and went back to his study of a debunked watcher that had done a great deal of research on dhampires after his slayer became pregnant with one and was killed. In general he researched dhampires but later he worked specifically on the dhampire slayer. 

"Xander?"

"Hi Will… Anya and I are back. We checked Buffy's house… No one was there but it looks like someone's been in Spike's crypt. It may have just been vamps. Spike has so few things there anyway."

"No one there to greet you?" Willow asked avoiding the word 'watcher.' 

"No…I'm guessing if anyone was here they've already left… I think I'll visit Willy tonight to see if anything might…" Xander said by interrupted.

"I wouldn't do that without help."

"Then I guess we'll keep things pretty low key."

Willow sighed. "Guess that's best… We'll have to think of something else before…"

"I know… Later."

"Bye."

Willow growled. "How can we find out if the Magic Box and the house are bugged before we get there?" she said looking at Lorn. Her eyes flashed big, "You can hear almost any frequency. Could you scout it out for us?" 

"Another trip to Sunnydale," the host said simply. "What would my payment be this time?"

"Spike singing again?" she offered. "He'd do anything to protect Hope."

"Why don't I see if there is someone with similar talents in your area already? I imagine most peaceful demons on the Hellmouth would want to help to keep the Council from getting their hands on Hope. Last thing many of us quiet types want is a dhampire slayer who is indiscriminate in her killing. I personally like my head and want it to stay attached to me," Lorn commented and went about his task.

Wesley and Tara worked tirelessly going over the former Watcher's diaries that had exposed the plot of the Council to create the dhampire slayer. Willow watched through the glass window. Angel's employee Gunn, a strong young demon hunter, was off attempting to verify Faith's routine at the jail and also inform her of the danger she was in. Angel and Fred, twiggy little genius of a girl, were with Father Gabriel attempting to convince the elders of Wolf's clan that a blending of the two peaceful wolf clans in the area was the best option at this point since Wolf would be needed to protect the Hellmouth and Buffy in the coming months. 

            Cordelia and Willow just stood for a moment in silence as the lack of sleep set in. Too many things had happened in one night and part of a day for them not to be on their toes. Connor began to cry having woken up hungry. "What do you think I should give him this time? Milk or blood?" Cordy asked putting the baby on her shoulder.

            "Give him half and half," Willow offered.

            "That is just gross," the prom queen snapped.

            "I don't know Cordy…You're the mommy, not me."

            "The mommy that didn't even get to have the fun of playing with the daddy to get the baby," she grumbled.

            Willow chuckled, "But now we've made it that you can have all the fun in the world with the daddy. Just have to steer through a few more obstacles before we can leave this glorious city and you can play with all the toys in Angel's truck that you want."

            "She told you!" Cordelia said frustrated that Buffy would mention 'the trunk.'

            "Oh please… Angel went to get something out of it before he left. I was in the office when I heard him muttering about Spike better have the good sense to clean it before giving it back or he would seriously damage the boy. I took a peak… He must have quite an imagination. You're a lucky woman," Willow smirked.

            "I'll feed him blood," Cordy said and escaped to the kitchen. Willow just laughed.

            Gunn came through the front doors. "Okay… Met the Faith chick. Hot mama… not as hot as Fred but…" 

            "What did you find out?" Wesley rubbed his eyes. 

            "She didn't seem all that surprised that the Council would be coming for her… She said she'd request to be in the yard tonight. Between her strength and skill and our plan we should have her out in short order."

            "All right…Good…" Wesley muttered. "Now we just have to hope that Druscilla won't cause any problems in the next twenty four hours and we might pull this off."

            "She's already attacked Buffy today… She will probably attack by a different method next time. Did Spike say where she was when his mind touched hers?" Willow asked.

            "No… That's something else we should try to nail down," Wesley answered.

"This all reminds me of when Connor was born…With the running around and being freaked about who was going to come to take him and who they would kill to do it," Cordy said returning to the discussion as she fed the baby boy in her arms.  The infant started flashing his eyes yellow at Cordelia. "Spike better get up soon. His nephew wants to play."

            "Bite size wants me?" said a newly showered and quite chipper Spike. "Where are the kids?" 

            "Dawn and Wolf?" Willow asked. Spike nodded. "Probably having sex."

            Buffy scrunched up her face, "Isn't that an Anya line?" Buffy was glowing, literally.

            "Buffy? Are you aware that you are glowing more then most pregnant women do?" her best friend asked.

            "Little visit from our friendly Observers. I guess they made sure Hope was conceived. They also made sure I'm radiating," she shrugged. 

            Spike crossed to Connor taking the small dhampire in his arms. Spike blew on the baby's belly causing him to laugh. Connor flashed his eyes at Spike and Spike flashed his right back. The baby laughed again. "You can play this with Nibblet…Her eyes glow purple though," Spike informed his small nephew. "Let me feed him," he begged Cordy.

            "Fine by me… Watching him drink blood creeps me out."

            "Better get over that if you and Peaches are going to play house together," Spike informed Queen C. "Both men in your life will be drinking this stuff for eternity."

            "Doesn't mean I have to like it," Cordy sulked.

            "You get used to it. Just make Angel responsible for cleaning anything that has blood in it and you'll be set," Buffy added. 

            Buffy looked around, "Where is everybody? Where are Xander and Anya? And please don't say having sex?"

            Willow smirked, "Sorry. Tired. They went back to SunnyD. You've been up there a while. They're already home." 

"We need to talk about what Gabriel told you," Wesley commented. "We've found records of the Councils influence over the conception of the dhampire slayer."

Buffy looked annoyed, "Her name is Hope."

"Buffy…I mean in theory," Wesley stated plainly. "Apparently not only had they attempted to get slayers pregnant by vampires… They may have sent slayers into Spike's path on purpose."

"What?" Spike said shocked.

Tara came to her friends. "It looks like the former watcher wrote that Spike's life has been…rigged." Spike looked puzzled. "The legend you mentioned about your family… It's a curse. All the first-born males in the seventh generation were turned. The Council found that specific prophecy about you being the father of the dhampire slayer and waited until you were vamped. They still tried to get other slayers pregnant but they followed you. That's why you faced two other slayers. They sent the first to you, not the other way around. In fact it looks like the slayer before the one you killed in the Boxer Rebellion was murdered rather then died in battle. Most likely she died at the hands of the Council so they could put a pretty, young slayer to face you in China."

"We're guessing the second slayer was moved to New York to find you," Willow commented. "We don't know that for sure since we don't want to arouse suspicion from the Council by searching through other Watcher diaries that we don't have and would have to find."

"But Angel…" Spike sputtered. 

"The Powers sent him to help Buffy. The mob in Prague was instigated by members of the Council so that Druscilla would be injured enough to get you to Angel, who was already in Sunnydale near Buffy," Wesley deduced. 

"These humans have been screwing with my entire undead existence?" Spike said coldly. Wesley sighed. "How do I fight humans?" he asked. "How do you fight humans?" he asked Buffy. 

Tara swallowed and said, "We get the chip out… Your soul is in place. You aren't going to go on some rampage. You'll just protect your family."

The room was silent. Buffy looked at Spike then said, "How?"

"There's a doctor that specializes in demon surgery," Wesley commented.

"That will have to wait until after we get Faith out," Spike said quickly.

"Already covered. She knows what's coming. Truth is she could get out easily. She just chooses to stay for penance," Gunn said smoothly. 

"Guess I'm going to see a man about a duck," Spike muttered.

"Huh?" Buffy looked at him queerly.

"Before your time luv," he said and kissed her head.

TBC…


	2. Duck

Title: The Duck

Name: Joy        

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

            Spike sat on the examination table in the doctor's office. Buffy sat, all bundled up so her 'glow' wouldn't attract attention, near by in the chair beside the table. "So what was the joke about the duck? I still don't get it."

            "When we go home we'll watch 'Duck Soup' on one of the many non-slaying nights you will be having in the coming months," he informed her.

            "Isn't that a black and white movie?"

            Spike shook his head. "There were many good movies shot before they came in color."

            "Name one," Buffy countered.

            "Duck soup."

            "You're impossible."

            "Fine," Spike sighed. "The mystery 'Laura,' very good movie… Plus 'Dracula' was made in black and white. Abbott and Costello movies… Oh…there are also the movies that they have made in black and white because it looks cooler…Young Frankenstein wouldn't be near as funny if it were shot in color." Buffy stared at him. "What?"

            "You've thought way too much about this," she shook her head.

"Alright… A modern reference to the 'duck' is in the movie Swingers."

            "When?" 

            "At the end when he gives the hotty his card… No one gets the joke about the duck on his card," Spike explained, "Except her."

            "We'll have to watch it again… This time without you standing up and screaming at the TV when the main guy cuts off his ex-girlfriend on the phone," Buffy responded. 

            "Oh please. After everything you've been through don't tell me that you can't imagine yourself just a little bit in that situation…If the movie was about a girl moving on from a relationship are you telling me you wouldn't have been just as thrilled to watch her stick it to her ex?" Buffy smirked. The doctor entered the room quietly. "Saved by the doc," Spike said rolling his eyes.

            "Well…Good evening. This is an emergency appointment and a very expensive one so lets get done to business. What is the surgery I'm going to be performing?" he asked them simply. 

            "My husband has a chip in his brain that needs to come out," Buffy said sweetly.

            "A chip?"

            "A government issued microchip that shocks me everything I want to hurt a human."

            "And why as a human would I want to remove said device?" the doctor asked sitting back in his chair. 

            "Because we're paying you a lot of money…and he has a soul now." The doctor looked at Buffy skeptically. "And I need him to protect my sister's baby from some humans," she threw in for good measure.

            The doctor rolled his eyes, "I'll do it under the condition he'll be put under for the surgery…and taken from the premises before he wakes up."

            "That is workable…" Wesley offered from the corner of the room where he had just been observing. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Buffy paced the floor back and forth until Wesley stopped her mid-motion. "He will be fine. Under the circumstances he's doing remarkably well; he's not the most trusting man…vampire…whatever."

            Buffy smiled at Wesley's correction, "Thanks… I'm sorry about…well… jumping into the claiming thing without understanding what the consequences might be."

            "Yes well… the consequence in this case can be a really good addition to the world so I'm not complaining… But I would suggest now that you're going to be…an aunt," he covered since that was the story Buffy had fed the doctor, "you will need to take stock before jumping off buildings from now on."

            "I'm glad you're here…you're not Giles of course…but a general positive experience to be had with this debunked Watcher," she said with a soft smile. 

            "I've been told I've loosened up a lot," he smirked.

            "That too."

            "Miss," a nurse called to Buffy, she turned around quickly. "He doctor wants to give you some instructions and then you can take him home. 

            "Thank you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            "Okay," Dawn looked wearily at Willow and Tara. "Xander and Anya are in Sunnydale. Angel is with the Wolves. And Buffy and Spike are getting his chip out. Am I clear?" 

            "Yes," Cordelia said from near by. 

            "Shouldn't we have gone with Angel and Father Gabriel?" Wolf asked.

            "We were not going to interrupt you," Cordy said simply. "Well we tried once but you were both in wolf form so there wasn't much point."

            Dawn shook off the idea of Cordelia Chase having seen them mate in their animal state. "So when is everyone expected back."

            "Well if Angel doesn't get back soon I'm going to have to get Faith without him," Gunn commented. 

            "We're getting Faith?"

            "Missed that part didn't you?" Willow said. 

            "We're back," Fred announced from the door with a big smile on her face.

            Gunn smiled at her with that sexy smirk that he pulls off so well. "What are you so happy about?"

            She went right to him. "Angel was right about needing me."

            "Well I could have told ya you were needed girl."

            She looked at him through slited eyes, "No… I mean I told them all about what Wolf has been transformed into."

"No one wants to see Wolf killed in a pointless battle so they have accepted our explanation that he isn't a pure blooded wolf anymore. The Elders think it is wise to join with the other Clan. Gabriel is in the process of contacting them now. He should be in shortly…That cell phone that Cordy has me carry doesn't like to work in the building," Angel said pointing toward the front stupe. 

"We need to go," Gunn informed Angel.

"Right… Is everything ready?"

"Everything is set. Faith will be waiting to see us before making a break for it. The supplies are waiting by the door. There is a full tank, so we're good to go," Gunn laid it out. 

"Alright," the vampire said. "Wish us luck," he said holding his son and kissing him before kissing Cordy. "Love you."

"Love you too daddy," Cordelia said in a baby voice for Connor. "Me too." One more kiss and out they went. Willow, Tara, and Dawn just smirked at the prom queen. "What?"

" 'Me too'?" Willow repeated. Cordelia just glared.

"Unconscious Spike here… Help with doors," Buffy said to the women in the lobby a half an hour later.

"Oh… sure," Dawn said as both she and Wolf got up.

"I'll get him," Wolf offered and relieved the strained of Spike's body weight off of Buffy's form. "Can't have you pulling something."

"Good news," Dawn smiled, "The Elders are letting Wolf go. Gabriel is working out the deal with the other Clan now."

"Yeah… That's great. Now we just have to find a place to house him in Sunnydale," Buffy mused.

"Why?" 

"Training."

"Baby's not born yet Buff," Willow observed.

"Can't hurt to start planning ahead," the pregnant woman said with a smile. 

Gabriel reentered the hotel. "The Ulrich of the other Clan would like to meet our Xex… I believe he is uneasy about taking on more members."

"Spike had me read some about the structure of the Clan hierarchy… Why don't they instate some warrior positions if attack is feared?" Wolf offered.

"Who shall we have fight Wolf? We are not like these warriors here. We have our natural abilities but no training," Gabriel answered.

"You have training," Buffy stated. "If you can train my daughter, you can train your people… I know you desire to stay anonymous and just be the priest, but you have to see that can't happen anymore."

Wolf looked at Gabriel with big eyes. "Why do you know how to fight? What training could you provide a slayer?"

Father Gabriel sighed, "I am a dhampire as well… I am one of the originals. I am half wolf, half vampire… I can teach a slayer to shift, to mesmerize, and to bite."

Wesley cleared his throat, "We could always help train some of the members of your Clan… Being a Watcher I do have a certain degree of training but mainly I know training techniques. It will help me bone up on my knowledge before Hope is born." Buffy looked at him curiously. "Just because we can't depend on the Council, doesn't mean we can't used their techniques, right?"

The slayer hugged the young watcher, "Thank you."

"If you want Giles to…" Wesley began.

"At this point I don't want Giles in anymore danger then he is in already. I don't know how I'm going to get word to him that I'm pregnant and that his house is tapped," Buffy commented.

"I may have a solution," Lorn said entering the lobby. "I have a guy in Sunnydale that will sweep your house, your hubby's crypt, and that Store ya'll gather at. I gave him the number to contact Anya, so that side of things is covered… Your Mr. Giles receives letters that go unchecked from his own town. Since no one associated from here lives there the Council doesn't check. I have a business associate that lives not far from your friend. We will send a brief message to this father figure of yours to alert him to the predicament he is in."

"I told Giles before he left what the Council asked me to do in way of spying on him. I'm sure he's at least a bit aware of the danger," Wesley commented.

"What's a simple message to give to Giles?" Buffy asked.

"Send it like an advertisement," Dawn suggested. " 'Your house has bugs. Call for help…then put our number.' Giles is a smart guy. He'll get it."

"Points for ingenuity," Willow said with a smile. "I'll get started on the 'ad'."

"I'll help," Fred and Tara said in unison.

"Oh go ahead," Fred said.

"No…I just wanted to be with Willow…I'll stick to the booky stuff."

"Buffy…" Willow began, "after we get this done we should think about going home. Angel and these guys can help with the wolves and Faith and we can set up shop back in Sunnydale."

Buffy turned to Wesley, "Will you guys be okay? I really had no idea that all this would happen because of our visit."

"Angel's the only one that has visited Faith in prison so they're going to come here. Wolfram and Hart will want a piece of her but she can't go back to Sunnydale because that's where she committed her crime," Wesley remarked.

"She will stay with me," the priest stated matter-of-factly. "I can protect her and she would blend in with our community… Angel and I discussed as much with the Elders."

"Perhaps she could take one of the 'warrior' positions in the new Clan," Wolf suggested. 

"Perhaps," Gabriel responded. "She will be brought here before…"

"Yes…" Wesley nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            The doors to the Hyperion swung open quickly to reveal the wayward slayer in her orange jumpsuit being followed by the two men. 

            "Tell me you've got real clothes I can wear, B," Faith said walking full stride. 

            Buffy had to smile at her audacity. "Nice to see you too… Can I get you a drink with your clothes?" she mocked. 

            Faith laughed. "Nah…just a t-shirt and jeans and I'll be set to live amongst the wolves for awhile."

            The priest walked forward, "I am Father Gabriel. You will be living with me."

            "You're a vampire," she said curiously.

            "Only partially…now we need to move quickly before the authorities come here to look for you."

            "Some jeans and a t-shirt is all I'm asking for," she pled. 

"Besides turns out the authorities won't be looking for her," Angel informed them stiltedly. 

            "What are you talking about?" Buffy asked quickly.

            "I was good behavior girl and nice and helpful as a snitch on other inmates. Got my walking papers a few weeks ago. One of the Feds seemed very familiar with who and what I was. I stayed, out of fear of what the Council would do if I got out… I drop the dime to let him know I sprung for parts unknown all paperwork gets done with little to no effort," Faith said very proud of her self. 

            "You've got to be kidding me," Buffy said exasperated. 

            "No…the guy…well… he was the son of a Watcher. He said there were mitigating circumstances to the murder I confessed to and suddenly I became everyone's favorite informant."

            "Only you could pull something like that off…"

            "Yeah…" she shrugged. 

            "Come on Thelma," Buffy addressed Faith to follow her upstairs.

            "Right behind you Louise."

            "They are a weird team," Gunn commented. "I wasn't on the receiving end of one of her torture sessions so I guess I can just see the hot girl in the orange jump suit." Fred's face fell at his comment. The comment had the desired effect he had been reaching for. He leaned into her ear, "Not as hot as you…I like my girls more on the genius side then the murderous." Fred blushed.

            "As Xander would say… 'No flirting around the books' or in this case the computer," Willow snipped.

            Faith soon bounded down the stairs in some of Dawn's clothes. "Hey!" the teen objected. 

            "Don't fit in sis's," Faith shrugged.

            "Don't fit my top either," Dawn countered.

            "I like the way it fits just fine," the darker slayer smirked busting at the seams.

            "Fine… We'll need to get me replacements though," the teen informed her sister.

            "I know…" Buffy sighed. "Don't know where I'm going to get the money to support the baby plus dress myself in a few months."

            "We'll work something out," Angel said sweetly.

            "Yes…" Gabriel began. "Our congregation can support you like a missionary."

"You save the world enough," Wolf commented.

Faith looked at the boy, "He's new."

"The husband," Angel whispered.

"I thought you said Spike knocked her up," she said confusedly.

Wolf began to blush. "No…My husband," Dawn stated firmly. 

"I thought you were kidding." Angel and Gunn both shook their heads. "You weren't joking about this being one screwed up day."

After a moment of awkward silence Faith said, "Well all…I know you hate to see me go but I'd rather start building my life among the beasts then grovel in front of each of you individually… We can leave that to another time…like maybe at the birth of this kid." She addressed the room in a broad apology for her actions. "I don't see Xander so…tell him the same."

Gabriel got up and headed for the door. Buffy walked Faith to him and said, "Take care of yourself…no dumb chances please."

"You're one to talk… I still can't believe you've been boinking the undead…again," she paused. "Hey maybe you should thank me," Faith said with a smirk.

"How's that?" Buffy said putting her arms across her chest.

"Ask your hubby about the explicit imagery I gave him about what I could do to him while I was in your body."

"Are you trying to piss me off before you leave?" the blonde asked.

"No really…see if my speech is what got him thinking about you in **_that_** context," Faith smiled and walked out the door with the priest. 

The rest of the lobby had not heard the slayers discussion. Buffy started to briskly approach where Spike was sleeping off the meds. "Where you going in such a hurry Buffy?" Dawn asked.

"Go see a man about a duck!"

TBC…


	3. Repressed

Title: Repressed

Name: Joy        

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

A/N: Thank you Jamie…You caught me. I forgot I made a small provision. The story has been alerted thusly. 

            The first sensation Spike felt upon waking was someone holding his manhood- and tightly. In general if it had been a little less abrupt and painful he would have enjoyed the sensation and not shifted into game face. However being this was his favorite appendage and he didn't want it damaged, he was ready to fight. 

            His eyes popped open to see his lovely wife and mother of his daughter strangling the head of his favorite appendage. "What the f… Buffy! What are you doing?"

            "When was the first time we had sex?" she demanded.

            He stared at her until she tightened her grip. "At the house!" Spike yelled angrily. Buffy began to give his manhood a hand burn. "Damn it! What the hell?!"

            "We didn't have sex while I was dating Riley?" she accused.

            "Hell no! You would have had the smell of Indiana Farm Boy all over you! Now let go of my cock!" he shouted at her.

Buffy was seething but let him go. Spike glared at her then pinned her to the bed. "That wasn't nice pet!" he growled ferally. "You will be making that up to me tonight!"

Buffy glared up at him feeling him press his body between her legs. She couldn't me his eyes, "Faith made it sound like…"

"Faith?"

"Yeah…come and gone. She told me to ask if she was the reason you started to think of me 'in that way.'"

Spike just stared down at her, "I haven't the foggiest notion what you're talking about. I've never met her."

"Actually you did…when she was in my body… A little while after Giles became the Fyarl demon… Can you think of a time around then when I came onto you?" Buffy said quietly.

"Buffy you're scaring me…how was she in your body?"

"Too long a story to get into… Please think… Was there a night or something that I was really forward or…"

Spike's eyes got big for a minute, "Yeah there was… But you were mocking me. It was a general 'beneath me' idea."

"What did she say? Can you remember what she said?" 

"Yeah… Had me hard for days," he admitted.

"I'm sorry for the way I'm acting but please…tell me what she said to you."

"I… I… never thought to mention it…I mean I guess I asked you to talk dirty to me because of it but…"

"Spike…Please…"

"You said…" Buffy made a face.  "She said, 'I could ride you at a gallop until your legs buckled and your eyes rolled up. I've got muscles you've never even dreamed of. I could squeeze you until you popped like warm champagne, and you'd beg me to hurt you just a little bit more.' Then she said, 'And you know why I don't? Because it's wrong.'" Spike spoke softly playing with her hair. 

Buffy began to curl into herself. "I should have known it wasn't you…I mean now that we're together I can see that wasn't you," Spike whispered to her stroking her cheek. Tears began to slip down her face. "What luv?" She continued to cry. "I didn't do anything other then stare shocked… I swear. I didn't even realize I was in love with you until what…the end of the next year… Please, pet. I hate to see you cry."

She sniffled, "I'm sorry… Hormones I guess… It's just…its like she raped me in some ways. She took my body from me and used it to come onto you and sleep with Riley… Tonight when she said she might be the reason we got together it was as if that made everything we have suspect. It's dumb but the thought that you might have slept with her too… I just…it felt like you should have known it wasn't me…even back then."

Spike rolled them over and held her to himself. "You can't change what was said and you can't change what happened. But baby if you don't know by now we were meant to be together you need to have your head examined…dreams, prophecies, not to mention the way I worship you."

Buffy smiled and kissed Spike's cheek. "You love me?"

"Oh yeah… for you, all of you, the dark parts and the light. And we're going to have a baby," he said happily lightly stroking her stomach. 

"That's really cool isn't it?" she said smiling back. "Hey Gabriel said he would put us up as, get this, _missionaries_ to be supported by the church. We may actually be able to handle the finances."

"Nibblet and Wolf are getting part time jobs for one thing," Spike said firmly. "They will be responsible for their own birth control. I really can't take the thought of buying condoms for my fifteen-year-old LilBit," Spike said nauseated.

"Oh yeah…I'm so glad Dawn is on the pill. We need to find out from Gabriel if there are any special birth control methods they have to use in their wolf state," Buffy responded like a true mom. 

"If they make it through this first month without getting pregnant since we know they haven't been using anything, I would be so grateful?" Spike begged the ceiling.

"I hadn't even thought to ask… Do you feel different with the chip out?"

"Itchy," Spike said much to his wife's amusement. "The stitches itch," he explained. 

Buffy made a face, "Nothing else?"

"Oh yeah…an intense desire to do this," he said tugging her blouse out of the way so he could feast on her breast. 

"Uh…good…like that side effect," she mumbled forcing Spike's head closer to her nipple. "Ahhh…" she moaned as he bit it lightly with his fangs. He suckled the blood from her breast like mother's milk. 

"Don't know what I'm gonna do when the baby comes…I'm going to want to suck on you as much as she does," Spike said running his hands up her sides touching the skin.

"You know how to make me feel sexy, don't ya? Gonna need to remember that when I'm the size of a beached whale," he instructed him.

"Slayer, you have no idea how much I'm going to enjoy watching the baby fill out your body," he whispered in her ear as he kneaded her breast and kissed her jaw. "Watching life grow within you… I don't think I'll be able get enough of you."

"Just wait… when you can't be on top…"

"Then I can be behind," he said rubbing himself against her behind. He hissed. 

"I was a little rough, wasn't I?" she asked.

He looked at her sternly, "Yes you were."

She pushed him on to his back. "I can make it better," she said in a coquettish tone before soothing his injured appendage with long kitten licks. "Maybe you want the full treatment?" Spike just laid back clutching the sheets nodding his head and groaning as the full treatment soothed away all aches and pains in the area. Though it created a whole new ache for him to deal with. But nurse Buffy seemed all too willing to help for whatever ailed him. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Buffy…Buffy, Buffy, BUFFY!" the lobby heard Spike chant. 

            Wolf shook his head; "I really should have taken him up to his nice sound proof room… Can we ask them to move or something?" The kid shivered a bit. 

            Angel sidled up to the kid and said, "They've had a hard day…and I'm not gonna go in their to see my ex giving my grandchilde a blow job." Wolf shut his eyes and breathed deeply. "Better get used to it kid… they both are very vocal and you'll be sleeping in the basement."

            Wolf about swallowed his tongue. He turned to Dawn slightly and said, "Can we go to the store or something? I need the images Angel put into my head out of it…like twenty years ago!"

            Dawn glared at Angel, then took her husband's arm and yelled, "We're going to the grocery store. Be back in a while."

            "Wait…Dawnie…" Tara said running up to the teen. "Don't forget…" was all Wolf heard before he saw Dawn blanch and Tara shove some money in her hand. 

            "Lets go," she said tugging his arm. Wolf was so confused.

            "What was that?" Cordy asked blatantly. 

            "I told her she needed to go get some condoms for herself so she wouldn't get pregnant," Tara said shyly. 

            "Oh…Spike…" "Buffy…" different voices wafted through the door.

            "That's it!" Cordelia said and marched across the room. She started to bang on the bedroom door Buffy and Spike were behind. "Hey there Honeymooners. Get your asses upstairs so we don't have to hear your orgasm fest. In fact just get your asses out here so we can get this research done so I can get to an orgasm fest of my own!"

            "Repressed much!" Buffy yelled back.

            "That's right Buffy. I've not been boinking the undead, though I really would like to… So repressed yes…Sexually frustrated absolutely… Not in the mood to hear someone else get it on a few feet away, you got it!" the prom queen barked. 

Angel didn't know how to react to Cordelia's outburst. He was slightly embarrassed by her frankness, shocked that she said it, and cocky that she announced she wanted him. More then anything he felt claimed in front of everyone his love found important in her life…minus Lorn who was on the phone again. 

The bedroom door flew open. With Spike looking Cordelia dead in the face, "Sorry for the inconvenient, luv… All better now." He kept a straight face as he led Buffy by the hand out of the room. "Where are the kids?"

            Cordelia decided to get even, "Buying condoms." Spike and Buffy about tripped over each other. "It seems your brother in law couldn't take the noise. So they ventured to the store to stock up on much needed supplies." Cordy smirked at them, as did the rest of the lobby. 

"Hardy…har…har… Where are they really?" Buffy asked.

            "Really," Willow ventured. "They went to the store to get away from the noise. Wolf was looking a little green at the thought of hearing you two all the time. The idea of purchasing birth control was suggested before they left. I imagine since Dawnie is a smart girl she'll take the advice… And by the way we all hate you!" Willow said the last part in her most sarcastic tone. 

            Willow's reprimand caused both Spike and Buffy to examine the floor. "Sorry," Buffy said softly.

            "Me too," William said more then Spike did. 

            "Lets get back to work," Wesley said to keep things moving. "Faith is safely absconded. Part of our job will be to check on her here in LA. Willow how's the ad for Giles?"

            "Take a look," she suggested. 

Wesley looked at the screen, as did Cordy and Angel. "Hey Willow," Angel began. "Ya wanna come back and work on our website and ads?"

Gunn got ticked, "What's wrong with what Fred did for us?"

"No… He's right. Come look," Fred offered.

"There is no way she did anything…" Gunn stopped abruptly looking at Willow's work more closely. "My bad…" he said backing off. He crossed to Fred, "I still think you're amazing at everything you do." All she could do was smile.

"No flirting around the books!" Willow and Cordy yelled at them. 

"See pet… The duck line…" Spike pointed at the scene.

"What?" Buffy looked at him queerly. 

"It started with Xander sleepily saying something stupid about flirting near the books and now they keep saying it. The duck line is like that… It's a weird thing one person said in a movie that everyone laughed at and now other people say it to be funny and to make a point," Spike explained. " 'No flirting near the books' is our 'Got to go see a man about a duck' line."

"You are the strangest person I have ever met," Gunn said staring in disbelief at the blond vampire. 

"Just wait… I've been pretty serious for two days straight. Soon I'll be bouncing off the walls in need of either a good spot of violence or need to make fun of someone mercilessly. Since the Whelp isn't here that someone could be you," Spike mocked. 

"Great, just what I need…a still high vamp in need of a stand up routine release," the young man said shacking his head. "Why don't we go find you a nice evil demon to kill?" he said in a soothing tone. 

"Nope…Daddy's of prophecy babies need to stay with mommies of prophecy babies," Spike said thoughtfully. 

Angel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Go to bed guys… Spike is toast. Get some sleep."

Buffy smiled and took Spike upstairs. Once inside their room Buffy turned to Spike and said, "Good fake honey."

"I aim to please… Now come right over here Mommy so Daddy can show you what fun we can have from behind," he smirked as his love walked to him. 

TBC…


	4. I am

Title: I am

Name: Joy        

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

            Dawn and Wolf reentered the Hyperion to the blissful sound of silence. Wesley and Angel seemed to be the last ones up. "We were going to send out a search party soon," Wes said lightly.

            "I wanted to show her all the places that were important to me before we left. I figured we'd be heading out some time tomorrow," Wolf answered.

            "I'm not sure… but you're probably right," Angel said simply. "Dawn can I talk to Wolf alone."  
            She considered the vampire for a minute then nodded. "I'll just head on up," she motioned and went to their room.

            "What's up Angel?" the teen asked softly.

            "I talked to Xander while you were gone. The sweeper that Lorn called has already been through. There were no bugs found at the Summers other then the ants in the kitchen," Angel joked. "Sorry…I'm trying to work on my humor… There was one found at Spike's crypt. We're assuming its there because the Council feels certain that is where Buffy and Spike would be meeting. From what I understand Buffy and Spike's break up would have been filmed there."

            "Why are you telling me this?" Wolf asked.

            Wesley looked him over. "The Council believes one of two things. Spike's left town or he's living with Buffy. They are probably keeping fairly close tabs on the vampire. We theorize the Council will try to control Spike in some way. Since his chip is now gone they might taint Spike's blood in some way to control him. We'll give you a supplier to get blood from for Spike. Let him pick up his as usual but then you switch it out."

            "Why is it important for Spike to be kept out of the loop?"

            "Spike and Buffy would go ballistic on the first Council member or agent they encountered if they knew they were close. If they know the Council is possibly actively screwing with their lives…Hell hath no fury stuff," Angel commented. 

            "So I switch out his blood… Am I supposed to keep tabs on where he goes myself? See if anyone suspicious is hanging about?" Wolf asked.

            "More then that…" Wesley said slowly. "We want you to make yourself available to the Council to 'corrupt.'" Wolf eyed him with great suspition. "You are the perfect person for them to have on the inside. We were planning on springing the idea on your new family tomorrow but we wanted to make sure you would be willing before we did."

            "Keep talking," the young man said stiffly.

The former watcher breathed deeply, "If the Council recruites you, you'll be asked to keep track of specific happenings in the house. If they want to know times and dates of things, call here immediately. That would indicate they are attempting to kidnap Buffy. We'll give up a cell phone for emergencies. More then anything we need you to keep track of what information they want. But under no circumstance let them know we here in LA have any idea Buffy is pregnant…at least for a while. And never mention Father Gabriel or Faith. We have to keep them safe."

            "Basically I'm the double agent and I'm to leave the details out of my reports to the Council about Buffy and Spike. If I do that at the beginning they'll know."

            "That's why the blood is important," Angel interjected. "If you're say the one that gives the formula to spike the blood with to the butcher then you're in their good graces. At the same time you can replace the blood in the fridge with blood that is safe."

"This is going to go on for months…years?" the teen asked.

            "We really just have to worry about the pregnancy and information about it. If we can convince the Council that Buffy isn't pregnant for another couple months than all their plans will go into effect after the baby has arrived. Hopefully we can successfully continue to have the Council believe Buffy is pregnant after the baby is born so Hope can be relocated in that time," Wesley answered.

            Wolf looked the former Watcher in the eye, "No… I won't help you take Hope from Buffy and Spike. If they want to protect her, that is their prerogative as parents. If they say they want to run with your plan then that's fine but I won't box them into a corner so removing Hope is the only option left to them."

            "I'd kill you if you took Connor," Angel commented. "It doesn't matter how good the intentions are."

            "Fine… I'll present the plan tomorrow morning and we'll see." The three men stood nodded at each other and headed to bed for the evening. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            The man with the purple eyes appeared in Buffy's dreamscape. "What are you doing here Love?" she asked.

            "A warning… The child… She will be what you already know she is… but she will be more… Look." The dark haired man with the wide eyes that had led Spike to her and Wolf to Dawn was now helping again. From what Buffy had gathered from their earlier experiences together this being was Love…or at least the embodiment of it. 

            "I thought you were restricted to…well… romantic love," she said to him.

            "Partly but not entirely… Your love made the child… Now watch."

            The sandy beach that Buffy had wrestled the original slayer stretched out before her. "Why am I here?" Buffy asked.

            "To learn."

            She took in the landscape and saw the original slayer approaching. Then the night cut the beach in two as a dark figure approached that Buffy did not recognize. He strutted forward like Spike did at the same pace as the slayer. So they stood next to each other, the slayer and the dark figure. And on the sand there was a line where the day met the night and it stretched out forever. 

            "Who are you?" Buffy address the dark figure. 

            "No name. I live in the action of death, the blood cry, the penetrating wound that flows life. I am destruction. Absolute ... alone… Vampire…The first," he said as he let his fangs glow in the moonlight.

            The slayer and the vampire did not look at each other, as they stood parallel to one another facing Buffy. The slayer straightened her arm out to reach the edge of the darkness and the vampire reached to the edge of the light. And as their hands met on the line that held them apart their eyes glowed purple. A clap of thunder sounded as the lightening struck the ground before them. And there stood a child. 

The child stepped toward Buffy and said, "I am Hope… I am Destruction… I am End… I am Beginning… I am Life… I am Death… I am Dhampire… I am Slayer…"

            Buffy stared as the winds whipped around the child in a funneled cyclone. Then legions gathered in the darkness as well as the light. Then a series of people in the light touched people in the dark and the line began to turn gray. And from the ground there came children pushing through the sand. In a unified voice they cried, "We ... are ... alone!"

            The original child was still surrounded by the unrelenting winds. "ENOUGH!" she cried and the air ceased to move as the sand fell like rain to the ground. She walked to Buffy and said, "I… AM… ALONE!" Then lightening struck the ground between them.

            Buffy jumped as she straightened her body in bed. "Buffy?" Spike said with panic in his voice. "What? Luv? Oh my god."

            The slayer shook her head trying to get rid of the remnants of the dream and tried to figure out why Spike looked terrified. "What?" Suddenly she felt something trickling out of her nose. "It's just a nose bleed," she said to Spike's retreating form.

            He returned with a wet washcloth. He looked serious as he wiped her nose but then turned her head so he could wipe the blood that was coming out of her ear. "Ear bleeds aren't as common," he said softly. "Does your chest hurt?"

            "What?" she asked.

            Spike picked Buffy's nude body up and carried her to the bathroom, turning on the light. He went to set her down but realized that her feet were burned. "What the hell happened?" he whispered. His arm at Buffy's back felt wet. Spike pulled her hair aside and saw lacerations with sand imbedded in them. "Buffy, tell me what happened!"

            Buffy blinked a few times as she saw herself in the mirror. Her nose had been bleeding and so had both ears. She looked down at her body to see her burned feet with the black streaks going up her legs. Spike sat Buffy in his lap on the toilet. "Luv, I'm going to run a cold tub and I'm going to get some disinfectant and get the witches up okay?" 

            "Don't leave," she whispered. 

            "I could carry you downstairs but I'd have to throw something on you. I'm afraid it might hurt."

            "Its fine…but don't leave me."

            "What's got you so scared? That was a stupid thing to say…you were asleep and got chard… Tell me what happened," Spike pled.

            "Take me to Willow and Tara… I'll tell you all at once," Buffy said with a glazed look. Spike nodded and picked up a t-shirt from the bathroom floor. He gently pulled it over her head. 

            In less then a minute Spike was pounding on Willow's door. "Come on Red… Open up. Need some help here."

            Willow threw open the door and said, "I'm never going to get a decent night's sleep, am I?"

            "No… Is Tara here?" he demanded. Willow turned a bit pink. "Good, then I won't have to pound on her door too." Spike barged in carrying Buffy.

            "What's wrong?" Tara asked sleepily sitting up in bed. 

            "I'm not sure… Buffy woke up with a start. Her feet are burned. Her ears and nose were bleeding. Her back is cut up right good with sand in all the cuts… It had to be some sort of magic because I was laying right next to her and nothing happen to me," Spike said as he sat her on the bed gently. "Luv?" he said stroking her cheek. "I'll be right back with some stuff for the burns and cuts."

            Willow stared at Buffy as she stared into space. "What happened Buffy?"

            "When Spike gets back," the slayer replied. 

            Spike returned to his wife's side and began to dress her injured feet. "Now luv, tell us how this happened."

            "The purple eyed guy showed me something… He showed me the creation of dhampires but he showed me Hope. He mainly showed me the power she could wield. In the dream she was created as the lightening hit the sand. She was in the middle of a twister and her little body didn't move. She commanded the wind to stop and it did. She said all this stuff then she walked to me." Buffy was still staring into space but she had begun to cry. "The last thing she said was, 'I am alone' then a lightening bolt hit between us."

            "The sand?" Spike asked.

            "You've never told him about your dream where you fought the original slayer, have you?" Tara said quietly. Buffy shook her head. "But that is where you were, wasn't it? You were in the desert again?" Buffy nodded. "Was the original slayer there again?" The slayer nodded. 

Willow and Spike nodded for Tara to continue. Somehow Tara having been dragged into the original dream helped draw out the details of this one. "Was there someone other then the slayer and Hope there?" Buffy nodded. "Who?"

"No Name…Vampire," she said shakily. 

"The original vampire?" Tara asked. Buffy nodded.

"Do you remember what the original slayer said about herself? 'I have no speech. No name. I live in the action of death, the blood cry, the penetrating wound. I am destruction. Absolute ... alone… The Slayer…The first.' Do you remember?" Tara coaxed. Buffy nodded again.

Spike sat fascinated having known none of this had occurred. "Did he tell you something similar?" the words slipped from his lips softly.

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

Buffy looked at Spike in awe. "Almost the exact same words… except the end."

"What did Hope say?" he said softly.

Buffy spoke with a dry throat, "I am Hope… I am Destruction… I am End… I am Beginning… I am Life… I am Death… I am Dhampire… I am Slayer…"  
            

"What does it mean?" Willow asked. 

"I think my daughter is pissed that she'll be alone. Never be part of either world," Spike said simply stroking Buffy's hair. "Either that or someone has done a hell of a mind screw to get the parts to match."

"Maybe it's neither," Tara said and held her hand over Buffy's stomach.

"Hey!" Spike snapped snatching Tara's hand away.

"Let her," Buffy pled with Spike.

Tara ran her hand over Buffy's abdomen again. She looked at Buffy and said, "When we were in the desert in the first dream, we weren't really there. I wasn't really in your head…but I knew what happened afterwards." 

Buffy looked at the blond witch with wide eyes. "I fought with the original slayer in the sand but when I woke up I had no bruises or cuts."

"That's right… This space was real. So, there is probably a messenger like I was that was really there too," Tara commented. "She was the speaker for your daughter…not your daughter."

"Did you recognize her?" Willow asked. 

Buffy shut her eyes and focused on the child, what she looked like. "Hazel eyes… blond hair…"

Willow's eyes went big, "What else Buffy?"

"Around six years old."

Willow almost smiled, "Its you Buffy… You saw yourself… You spoke for your daughter because she's in you." Spike looked confused. 

"When I went in Buffy's head last year to get her out of her catatonic state I met her younger self." Buffy and Spike were still staring and Willow like she was nuts. "It makes sense. Well it sort of makes sense… All your injuries could be explained if the lightening hit near your feet and the force threw you back onto the sand…In fact waking from the incident probably caused the injuries to remain because the dream wasn't resolved." 

"I don't get it," Spike said with little patience at this point.

"We all had dreams where the original slayer attacked each of us in some way. Xander lost his heart, Giles's brain got hacked, and I couldn't breathe. If you hadn't resolved the dream we all would have been dead because of what happened to each of us in our own dream," Willow explained. "You have injuries because the dream didn't finish."

Spike shook his head, "I still don't see that as not meaning Hope isn't pissed she's going to be alone."

"I'm not reading that from her," Tara said calmly.

"But that is in me," Buffy whispered.

"Right," Willow nodded. "You always felt alone because of the whole slayer thing."

"And my death just made it worse," the slayer agreed. 

"It's true that she's alone…the only that has ever been. But the power of the reaction was fueled by your feelings, not Hope's," Tara said lightly. "I think if anything the words she uses to describe herself shows she has a pretty good grasp on the internal dichotomy of what and who she is."

"If at six she can command nature, we're going to have issues as parents," Spike said to Buffy as he stroked her face. 

"Yeah well… wait till she's Dawn's age," Buffy joked back. They smiled at each other for a moment before sharing a chaste kiss.

"Lets get your body healed so we can all get some sleep," Willow said as she pulled Buffy's shirt up. Spike and Buffy just held hands as the witches worked into the night. 

TBC…


	5. Dream Children

Title: Dream children

Name: Joy        

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

            "When are people going to get up? I haven't been home since they arrived," Gunn complained. 

            "Charles you can leave. I cannot possibly steal all of Fred's affections in the hour it will take for you to return," Wesley answered. 

            "Fine… But you aren't allowed to have breakfast with her…that is my thing."

            Gunn left Wesley alone in the office with his notes and prophecies. Buffy came downstairs in her nightgown and robe all bundled up. "Morning Wes," she called sweetly. "Will you be staring in the role as my Watcher today?"

            Wesley had to smile at that. "Yes, I will… You want to talk without everybody else first? I know Giles always would do that with you on important matters."

            "Sure…" the slayer said wearily.

            "Alright… The plan in parts is underway. Faith is with the wolves protected by them and protecting them. The Fed that she was working with has secured the information of her leaving for another few days so hopefully the Council won't find out for a while yet. Your house and shop have been swept. The crypt is the only location there was a bug found. The ad is prepared to go to Giles in this mornings mail," Wesley laid out.

            "Now for the hard stuff," he continued. "I'd like to make Wolf available to be used as a 'spy' for the Council. He will be the newest member of the family and the most likely to be recruited." 

Buffy looked at him queerly, "You're talking like he's going to be a double agent for the CIA."

"That's what it amounts to… You're carrying the ultimate weapon in their minds. They have to make sure it's secure… They will most likely contact him shortly after you get home. We'll provide him with the means to work this out Buffy but you have to trust him… I've been thinking over Gabriel's statement about moving the baby to the dhampire community in Romanian. It might not be a bad idea."

"No… Hope is not leaving me," Buffy stated firmly.

"Okay… Hear me out on one point though. If we can keep the Council from knowing your pregnant now…maybe put it off for a few months, then their plans would be off time wise." Buffy just stared at him confusedly. "If we can convince them you're still pregnant after Hope is born then we could move her temporarily so we can deal with whatever plans they have for taking her… Say in January when you have Hope, they'll still think you're only eight months along. I would imagine they would want to wait until you gave birth so they could merely take Hope from a hospital nursery rather then arouse your suspicions. If not, they would want to take you as close to your due date as possible so you would be giving birth with their doctors. In either case the advantage of a couple months shift would help us greatly."

"So say we went with this plan Wesley," Buffy said sternly. "Who would Hope stay with for those couple months?"

"Wolf and Dawn could bring her here… Or maybe Giles… I'm not sure. I suggest you continue to have the house swept for bugs regularly. You should also have two doctors or midwives. One that plays the part and knows nothing and the other someone you can trust… I know it will complicated," Wesley said simply.

"Yeah with Anya…It will be impossible."

"I think she can keep her mouth shut… She didn't tell Giles, Dawn or Spike they were planning on resurrecting you," the former watcher countered. 

"So is Spike up or has your morning frivolity not begun yet?"

The slayer smirked, "I'm letting him rest up since he had his operation yesterday… I'm sure I'll hear him when he wakes… So Wes, are you going to make a move on Fred?"

"No… Gunn has already staked his claim," the Englishman said uncomfortably. 

"I bet you have more in common with her."

"Buffy… Let's not talk about this."

"Fine… Have you found a way to combat Druscilla's attacks on my mind?"

Wesley for the first time noticed Buffy's feet were bandaged. "Did she attack again?"

"No… Prophecy dream or warning…something odd."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Spike woke up in a panic feeling the sheets beside him cold. "Buffy!" he screamed into the room. No reply. He launched into the hallway, "BUFFY!"

            Buffy and Wesley sat below talking. "Honey… Get dressed before bursting out of the room," his wife instructed. Spike looked down at himself to realize he was awake and so was the rest of him. He jumped back into the room. "I'm going to check on him," the slayer said and went to her room.

            "Spike?" she called when she entered.

            "Don't do that to me slayer!" he called from the bathroom, "Not after last night!"

            She walked in to see him trembling, seated on the toilet lid. Buffy slid into his lap easily. "I always know when you're upset because it's not 'pet' or luv;' it's 'slayer,'" she commented. "I was hungry so I got up… Wesley was up too so we talked strategy. I told him all about my dream last night. He thinks Willow is probably right… In which case it may keep happening until I make it through the dream… He suggested trying to induce the dream before we leave. Safe environment and Willow won't have to be involved with the magic at all."

            "I don't want you getting hurt," he said in a small voice looking down.

            Buffy pulled his face back up to hers with a finger and said, "William… It is better we do it now with a lot of protection then have me go through it every night." He nodded slightly. "I think that soul of yours is beginning to like me."

            Spike and William laughed. "He's falling in love with you," Spike whispered. "And he is completely in love with Hope," he said laying his hand on her stomach, "He always wanted to be a father." Buffy and Spike held on to one another tight as they softly kissed. Spike lowered them to the tile floor. "I'd like to associate something other then my wife bloody and beaten in here if you don't mind."

            Buffy smiled, "As long as I get to be on top. Don't want Hope to get dislodged." Spike chuckled and they began to kiss again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            By afternoon Wesley had explained the plan about hiding the pregnancy from the Council and the possible ways to play out the birth. Everyone seemed in agreement that stalling the Council as long as possible was best. A brief overview of the dream Buffy had experienced was laid out for the rest of the group. 

            Cordelia volunteered to help with the spell noting the part of her that was demon would help anchor them. Dawn took the second point as the energy source they needed to work the spell while Spike would be the protector for the journey. Tara would be the facilitator, focusing the energy and directing the spell. Wesley and Fred would chant a protection spell around them as they all went under. 

            Angel, Lorne, Gunn, Wolf and Willow just sat back and watched. Spike and Buffy sat on the floor surrounded by a sand circle. Buffy leaned into Spike's back as he put his weight on his arms and legs. Tara sat on the other side circle directly across from the pair. Dawn sat perpendicular to her sister and brother-in-law and directly across from Cordelia. Wesley and Fred began to chant as each female outside the circle lit the candle before them. Several Latin words followed before Spike was instructed to light the candle in front of he and Buffy. As soon as the candle was lit, all parties collapsed backward but Spike. He wasn't conscious but he was physically supporting Buffy's weight. 

            Buffy opened her eyes and she was standing in the desert. She wasn't in the summer dress she had been in on her first visit or naked like she was in the second. She donned an ivory colored silk slip dress that went to her ankles. 

            "I bought you that," Spike said from her right. "It's at home… I was saving it until I got the guts to ask you to marry me… I wanted it to be your wedding dress." He stood in the direct sunlight unscathed in a light blue short sleeve shirt and tan pants. "This is what I wanted to wear… We would marry just after sunset one day… I have to admit standing in the sunshine is nice when I'm not going to be crispy."

            Buffy smiled at him then kissed his lips. "When we get home we'll do this…just us," she assured him. 

            "Where to pet?" he asked.

            "We wait," she said. 

            A sudden thunderclap caused them to let go of each other for a second…but it was long enough. The original slayer appeared strolling forward in the bright morning light and the original vampire strutted forward in the night sky. As they got closer Spike was separated from Buffy by the line of the night. They reach for each other only to be knocked back by some unseen force. 

            "This isn't like before," Buffy commented.

            "I wasn't with you before," Spike answered.

            "I am Vampire…the first," the man shrouded in night said to Spike.

            "I am Slayer…the first," the dark woman said to Buffy. Each reached for the other and once again as their hands touched at the edge of the night and the day a lightening bolt struck and a child stood. 

            "I am dhampire… I am slayer…" she said in simply terms. 

            "Buffy… Is that you as a child?" Spike asked quickly. 

            "No… But that's not the little girl I saw before," she answered.

            "I wasn't complete before… You weren't here," the little girl stated looking at Spike. "The legions are gathering… They wish me dead… The legions are gathering… They wish to corrupt me," she said as figures appeared in both the dark and the light. 

            "What can we do?" Buffy asked simply.

            "Make a family for me," she said taking Spike's hand and then Buffy's. 

            "Haven't we already?" Spike asked the small girl holding his hand.

            "No… You've created an army. You are planning and plotting. You aren't celebrating my arrival… Read the prophecy… I will walk in the shadows and the light and be swallowed by neither… Be on guard, yes…Prepare for war, no," the child stated. "You will fight to protect me, but the best way to save me is to make me a home…a family."

            Lightening bolts shown in the sky and for a second there were others beside Hope but then they were gone. Spike saw a small boy and girl holding hands. "Where do we find them?" he said thinking the children had to be adopted or discovered. 

            "You don't… They will find you."

            Buffy had missed it all. Her eyes were too human to see the potential children that had appeared to Spike. "What are you talking about?"

            "What do you love most in the world besides papa?" the blond child asked.

            "Dawn," she said solemnly. 

            "Give me that…and we will survive…I will survive," Hope said. 

            Druscilla appeared behind Hope for a second then vanished. "Beware of old enemies and loves… She maybe unable to stop my birth but she can tear you apart." 

Hope held her parents hands tightly and closed her eyes as if in pain. Both went to comfort their child on instinct. Suddenly she began to grow in size and stature. When Hope opened her eyes they were brilliant blue, even more striking then her father's. Her blond hair was her grandmother Joyce's shade but it fell in loss ringlets like Spike's sister. She was as tall as Dawn with her long neck yet her skin tone was closer to Buffy's. Each parent could see part of themselves and their family in this woman. "I am your Hope," she whispered as she drew their hands together. 

As their skin touched the sky became stormy and the wind began to spin and once again Hope was a child in the middle of the funnel. She stood completely at peace and smirking at her parents. They stared at her for a moment before in a loud voice she cried, "ENOUGH!" and lightening struck the ground before them. Then everything went black. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 "Buffy!" Willow called as the slayer started to blink. She began to look around. Angel was tending to Cordelia, while Wolf clutched Dawn rocking her back and forth. Willow was holding Tara but calling her. 

Spike was sprawled out beside her, Fred looming over him with smelling salts. Someone was holding her head. She looked up to see Wesley stroking her forehead. "Welcome back Slayer," he said affectionately. "I think I'm going to get watcher points for this trip." Buffy tried to laugh but everything hurt. 

"What went wrong?" she said dryly. It was then that she saw the dust all over the floor. "Vampires?"

"Yes… They just appeared from nowhere as well as the babies Lorn is holding," Wesley answered. 

Buffy eyed the chubby children the Host sat with on the floor. "I need to talk to Spike."

Wesley looked at the vampire, "We're having trouble waking him. During the attack you both started to convulse. You stopped…he didn't."

            Spike let out a loud gasp. "We have to find them… We have to go back. She didn't tell us how to find them," he muttered. "Twins… Twin stars… Twin souls… SOMEBODY HELP ME!" He turned his head and blood began to seep from his ears and nose. The children responded to the sound of his voice and crawled to him, cuddling into his chest as if that is where they were always meant to be.

            The inhabitants of the Lobby just stared and the children and the vampire each silently asking what would happen next.

TBC…


	6. Goodbye LA

Title: Goodbye

Name: Joy        

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

            Spike's body was partially pulled into the fetal position with the babies at his chest and stomach lying head to foot. All three were asleep or unconscious. "Does this strike anyone else as weird," Gunn asked looking down on the vampire. "I mean its like he's pregnant with them."

            Buffy's eyes shot over then flitted through her memories of what just happened. "He is," she said absently and crawled to her husband. "She needs a family," the slayer muttered and touched the soft head of the girl baby. The baby opened her eyes and looked at Buffy. Recognition filled both Buffy and the little girl. She picked the baby up and it smiled at her. Buffy began to cry softly.

            "Now I really don't know what's going on," Gunn muttered.

            Willow approached the crying slayer slowly. "Buffy… Are you okay?"

            "Yes Willow…" she said through tears. "Would you pick up Orpheus?"

            Willow looked down at the other baby and pointed. Buffy nodded as the red head picked up the baby. He immediately began to cry. "Switch," Willow suggested. Orpheus's tears stopped but he kept leaning back toward Spike. 

"You want your daddy," she said rubbing her nose to his. The lobby watched as Buffy sat down next to Spike's prone body. "Spike… Spike," she called. He sort of twitched. "We've got them… Stop searching."

At the words Spike's eyes began to flutter. He focused on Buffy's face but it appeared to be moving and changing shapes. Finally his eyes relaxed and he saw a baby in Buffy's arms wriggling with glee to see him. He sat up a bit and gazed at Buffy. "How?"

"I don't know," Buffy responded.

"Um guys," Willow called as the baby in her arms was squirming to get closer. 

Buffy handed Orpheus to Spike and went to Willow. "What's the matter Psyche? Are you feeling left out?" she said collecting the baby in her arms.

Spike watched his wife return with his daughter in her arms and William was overwhelmed. He started to cry softly snuggling into Buffy's loose embrace. "My reaction exactly," she whispered. 

Spike looked down at his son who was looking at him. "Orpheus…" he whispered. "Well little man… I was looking for you, your sister too. Should have just listened to Hope." Both babies giggled. "You like that, huh? You like your baby sister? Well let's go see if your cousin is up from his nap," Spike said to his children who seemed to think he was god's gift to the world. "Alright…Hand her over," he said to Buffy.

"I want to hold her," Buffy pouted.

"Want to present a united front with Connor," Spike said proudly. Buffy shook her head but handed Psyche over. "Got a hip for each of you so… Here we go," he balanced himself and stood. 

Up until then he had only really seen Buffy and Willow, as he turned around he faced the lot of them. "What?"

Angel looked at him curiously. "You called him Orpheus… That's what Buffy called him while you were still under."

"Right…" Angel still looked confused. "We didn't name them," Spike informed his grandsire and proceeded to walk past him. 

"What?" Angel asked.

"What just happened?" Gunn said confusedly. 

"Hell if I know," the blond vampire said and walked toward Connor's bassinet. 

"Then how do you know they're not evil or something… They did arrive with vampires," Gunn was trying to make a point.

Spike rolled his eyes and went to kneel down to Connor. "Hey…Bite size… I got some cousins for you to play with. What do you think?" The baby made his eyes glow yellow then laughed. "That's what I thought."

Buffy laid a big quilt on the floor and positioned Connor on his stomach as Spike put Psyche and Orpheus on it too. The babies giggled and wiggled together having a great time sucking on toys and making gurgling sounds.

Wesley watched the scene for a minute before interrupting. "Spike? Buffy? Can we discuss what happened and why you have two children you think are your own?"

"They were a gift," Buffy said.

"From the Powers that Be," Spike finished.

"Okay? Why?" Angel asked.

"Hope will need something to fight for…her siblings apparently are that something," Spike answered. 

"Are they dhampires?" Wolf asked.

Buffy and Spike looked at each other then the children. "I guess by the classical sense of the word…yes… I don't know about anything else."

Tara, Cordelia, and Dawn were finally really coming back to themselves. Willow looked the scene over and said, "We need Giles."

Buffy looked her square in the eyes and said, "We have Wesley." The queen had spoken and everyone knew it. 

Wesley swelled with pride but said, "She's right… His expertise would be best since I'll be staying here."

The slayer shrugged. "What's the verdict? Did we finish the dream or not?" she said to Tara.

"Not done," the white witch said. "But we can't go back… not yet. In a couple hours maybe… Be ready though. This go round Druscilla will know you both will be there. She's going to attack," Tara said firmly.

"Great just what I need…a round with my husband's ex."

"Come on luv… It's not that bad," he said kissing her forehead. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The afternoon was spent readying the Sunnydale people to head back to their camp. Willow loaded Spike's duffel into the Desoto and said, "I can't wait to see the look on Xander's face when he sees the babies. He's going to have a coronary."

"Please tape it," Cordelia asked sweetly causing Willow to smirk. 

"When is Buffy getting back?" Angel complained to Cordelia as the girls walked back into the building.

"Soon…Why?" she asked curiously.

The older vampire began to pout, "He can get Connor to laugh a lot more then I can." Cordelia laughed at the sight before her. Spike was on his stomach on the blanket playing with his kids and Connor. 

"Angel don't be jealous… Fathering just comes more naturally to Spike, that's all," Willow tried to sooth him. Angel only pouted more.

Cordy went over and snagged Connor. "Connor, look at your daddy… Isn't he funny lookin'?" Cordelia teased tickling the baby's belly. Connor erupted in giggles. She happily handed the little boy over. "Now go be Mr. Vampire Dad," she instructed. 

Willow and Cordelia watched Angel and Connor rejoin the playtime with Spike and his little pups. "If either on them start picking the babies up by the napes of their necks I'm going to call the humane society," Willow threatened. 

Cordelia just laughed. "Yeah they do have that 'pile of puppies' feel to them don't they?" 

Buffy returned with two car seats, a twin stroller, and a port-a-crib along with diapers and formula all on Angel Investigations. "Thanks guys. This will make life much easier."

"Just as long as Spike isn't breast feeding, I'll be happy," Gunn observed squirming at the thought.

"What?" the blond vampire fussed. "Buffy gets to give birth to Hope in a physical sense. I gave birth to these guys in a spiritual way…so I'm a little attached," he said staring at his children with such love it was amazing to behold. 

"Just wait… I'll be ready to kill you because of the pain when Hope comes," Buffy informed her husband. 

"I've seen you withstand some great amounts of pain… I think you'll come through it like a pro," Spike said encouragingly stroking his wife's face. All of Angel Investigations erupted in laughter. "What?"

Angel cleared his throat and said, "Darla was a vampire…loved pain… She hated every minute of giving birth. She threw us up against walls…things like that. Buffy's strong…and she is going to kick your ass during this birth."

"Oh I so want to be there to see that little mama ready to pop… I can only imagine what she'll do since I saw what Darla did," Gunn joked shaking his head.

"DON'T," Buffy's tone was icy, "EVER call me MAMA again!"   
            Gunn looked into the small woman's eyes and nodded. "No problem," he said about swallowing his tongue.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that evening circle was reconfigured and the spell began again. The group was prepared for what was to come in the form of potential intruders again. Nothing prepared Buffy or Spike for what they were to find in their dreamscape. 

Spike was standing in the darkness when he opened his eyes. "BUFFY!!! Where are you?" he screamed reaching his hands out in front of him. The air was whipping around him. He was inside the storm. 

He looked down so his eyes would not be hit with sand. A small hand appeared below. Spike got on his hands and knees and dug. The little hand belonged to Psyche at the age of five. She was dead. Suffocated by the storm…buried by its relentless wind. Spike howled in excruciating pain at the loss of his baby girl. He looked out from the storm and saw Hope standing, laughing at him. "She was only there for my amusement… I'm no longer amused!" Hope growled and picked the winds up ten times ripping the child's body from its father's arms. 

Buffy opened her eyes to see Spike attacking Hope. He came barreling toward their daughter like a great cat ready to strike. Something whispered to Buffy to turn her head. There she saw the beaten and bruised body of little Psyche. There were hands sticking up out of the sand. "Orpheus's hands," the voice whispered again. "He's killed all your loves with hate," it hissed.

Spike was fighting Hope when Buffy knocked the wind out of him. Suddenly Buffy was fighting him like she had fought the original slayer in the desert. Spike and Buffy were too angry and hurt to question why they were fighting; they just beat on each other. 

"STOP!!! ENOUGH!!!" a familiar child's voice spoke. The couple looked up to see Hope as a child standing in front of them at their feet. 

"Away child," the older Hope sneered. "You have no power here."

Hope cocked her head to the side and said, "That is where you are wrong!" The child shot her arm out in front of her knocking the teenage Hope on her ass. "You are the one that has no power here… You're not even real."

The teen scampered to her feet. The body of Psyche and the hands of Orpheus disappeared. The teen seethed and attempted to conjure the wind to attack the little girl. "Sorry… My talent…not yours." The wind picked up at the feet of the teen. "Drop your illusion now, before I destroy you entirely," Hope commanded. 

Druscilla appeared in the place of the teenager. "I will come for you," the British woman said in polished English. 

"I'll be waiting," the child answered. "Now away with you!" Druscilla was struck by lightening and disappeared. 

Buffy and Spike stood up and looked at one another with curious glances and questions. Hope turned to them and said, "Rule one… If something appears to be off… it probably is.  Rule two… If a member of your family is committing a heinous act… investigate before attacking. Last thing I need is this to play out once I'm born. I won't have the ability to talk you down from these ledges you find yourselves on these days."

The small girl walked away from her parents and said, "Take care of each other and my siblings. I'll be with you soon." Lightening struck the ground where she stood and Buffy and Spike stood together in silence.

"What now pet?"

"Forgive…Love," Buffy said absently.

With that they came to in the middle of the circle hugging each other. Dawn, Cordelia and Tara seemed to be okay. "Done?" Wesley asked.

"Done," Buffy and Spike said together. 

"Then its time for the Summers to go home," Wesley said with a smile.

Cordelia rapped her arms around Angel and whispered in his ear. "Finally… We'll be able to try out that whole permanent soul bit."

Angel smirked. "What? No dinner and dancing?"

"I'll settle for Mac & Cheese in the kitchen and slow dancing to the radio in your bedroom," she answered.

"We'll still need a babysitter," the vampire said brushing his lips over her ear and holding her hips possessively. 

"Lorn!" Cordelia called to her green friend. "Help out a friend… I'm begging…" 

"Babysitter?"

"Yes…"

"You owe me," Lorn responded. 

"Oh thank you," she said taking Angel by the hand and led him toward his room. 

"What happened to mock dinner and dancing?" Angel questioned as he was led away.

"Foreplay in the bedroom… not out here," Cordelia whispered. "By all… Great to have you visit… See you in a few months," she said as a goodbye.

Willow walked over to Buffy and smirked. "Someone's going to get a happy."

Buffy looked at her friend and said, "I really don't want to be around when that bottle gets uncorked."

Suddenly something broke in Angel's room. "I don't think any of us do," Spike said grabbing his son and daughter. 

Another crashing sound emanated from Angel's room. Wesley turned to Gunn and Fred and said, "Let's help get them on their way and go out for a business dinner."

Angel snarling and Cordelia yelping punctuated the thought. "Oh yeah… We're out of here," Gunn agreed. All other occupants of the Hyperion left in great haste.

TBC…


	7. Home Again

Title: Home Again.

Name: Joy        

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I'm writing an original story and have been pretty caught up with it recently.

A/N2: I'm really having a problem with the spoilers I've seen about what's going to happen next week with Spike and Buffy. I am very mad with Joss Wheton right now.

A/N3: Can someone tell me, is James Marsters coming back next year?

Anyway…on we go…

            "Home again! Home again!" Buffy said as they entered the house. 

            "Right… Gonna start packing," Willow said barreling up the stairs.

            "Huh?" the slayer looked at Dawn confused. 

            "On the way home Willow and Tara decided to move back in together… Therefore baby room," Dawn informed. "Now to try to figure out how to rearrange the basement for Wolf and I."

            Spike came in carrying Orpheus and Tara held Psyche. "I hear congrats are in order," Buffy said to the blond witch. She blushed.

            "Good for you pet… We're going to have a full house," Spike commented.

            "No Willow's moving in with me."

            "Well then…"

            Xander and Anya drove up five minutes later. Spike was playing on the living room floor with the babies, completely under the spell of his children, while the girls worked the bags. "Great to have you back… What the…" Xander sputtered seeing the vampire playing on the floor. 

            "Little people!" Anya yelled. "They're cute… When will we be getting one Xander?"

            Xander's face fell in terror. The fun part was making the babies not having them. One thing was for sure Xander was not ready to be a father. "I… I…" he muttered.

Spike busted a gut on the floor. "This has got to be the best moment of the last few days!" he announced.

            Buffy glared, "I would have thought that would have been when we got married or when we conceived Hope!"

            "You're right… This is the funniest," Spike answered picking each child up. 

            The vampire got close to the panicking male and said, "This is Orpheus and Psyche… They're our babies."

            "Huh?"

            "Metaphysical stuff," Buffy stated. "Could you go help Wolf and Dawn reorganize in the basement? We'll have to get them and double bed tomorrow… One more expense that I didn't think about."

            "We'll cover you Buff," Xander said. "Wedding present to Wolf and Dawn."

            "Oh…presents…" Anya smiled.

            "Angel Investigations provided the items we have at the moment," Buffy said simply.

            "I think Cordelia would have bribed us with anything to get us out of the hotel so she and Angel could…" 

            "SPIKE!" Buffy warned. "We're going to have to start working on your language."

            He rolled his eyes, "…could test the permanence of his soul." Buffy nodded at him.

            Anya's eyes went big. "I bet he's going to have a really big orgasm since he's waited so long," she commented. "You could probably hear it for miles."

Spike had to laugh and just walked away so Buffy wouldn't swat him. "I'll be going upstairs to see how your old room will look as a nursery."

Xander wandered down the stairs to the basement to see the youngest couple pressed up against the wall making out like nobodies business. "Hands… Hands… don't need to see where those hands are," he said frantically turning away from them. 

Dawn was breathing heavily as she licked her lips to savor Wolf's taste on her mouth. Wolf gave her a little possessive growl as he caressed her breast one last time before removing his hand from under her shirt. She flashed her eyes purple at him and he growled again. 

"Enough… I am in the room," Xander stated. 

"Then maybe you better leave the room," Dawn informed him and latched on to her husband again. Wolf snarled a bit.

Xander turned around to see Dawn and Wolf making out again. Retreat was the most logical thing at the moment. He high tailed it to the stairs and prayed Buffy wouldn't want to help in the basement.

Wolf ran his eyes over Dawn's body then over the room. He pulled away from the kiss. "Our place," he whispered. Dawn smirked fisting Wolf's shirt and pulled him further in. "What are we doing?"

"Christening it," she informed him.

He raised an eyebrow. "I may have come far on the sex thing but I'm not taking you on the floor."

"One day you will…when the floor is carpeted. For now we'll find the cot."

"Xander?" Buffy questioned as he stood outside the basement door. "Why aren't you helping downstairs?"

He swallowed, "Dawn and Wolf weren't exactly doing anything downstairs you'd want me to help with."

"What are you talking about?" she questioned. Just then the sound of old springs squeaking could be heard through the door. Her face contorted. 

"My wedding present to you and Spike will be sound proofing their room," Xander assured her. 

"I imagine we're going to be employing you a great deal in the next for months… First purchase will be a non squeaky bed," Buffy said simply. 

Spike came over to say, "The babies are down and Willow wondered…" He stopped and focused on the rhythmic sound below. "Oh god…" he rolled his shoulders and shook. 

"Now you know how we all felt at the thought of you and Buffy for a while there," Xander informed him.

"Xander!" Buffy snapped.

"What? You guess felt the same way about me and Anya."

"That was because she was constantly talking about you in terms of orgasms," she countered. 

Xander smirked, "And you and Evil Dead banged every which way to Sunday in hearing range for us…not to mention in public… Dawn is taking her turn for the all consuming sex phase of her relationship."

Spike rolled his shoulders again in disgust, "Can we get away from the door please? You guys only hear the squeaking. I hear the moaning, panting and groaning… I've heard LilBit come more times than any big brother should be forced to and they are rapidly approaching the finish line." He covered his ears and walked swiftly into the living room followed shortly by Buffy and Xander. 

"Helping Willow sounds like a great thought," Buffy stated as she tugged Spike up the stairs only to find Anya standing outside Willow's door. "What's going on?"

"I came up to help but Tara and Willow are having sex so I decided to wait."

"What is it with this place?" Spike growled.

"I don't know but I'm taking Xander home so we can have orgasms too," Anya replied and marched down. 

Buffy and Spike looked at one another then looked in on the babies asleep in Dawn's bedroom. "Ya know they say parents of young babies never get to have sex?" Buffy said simply. 

"I've heard that," Spike said with a smile. 

"They really have to make the most of the time their babies are asleep," she continued slinking back toward their bedroom.

"Really…that's fascinating," he smirked stalking forward. He picked her up quickly and opened their bedroom door. "Haven't been in here as a married couple yet," Spike informed her. "We definitely need to consecrate the room."

"Sounds good to me," Buffy whispered before devouring his mouth. 

Clothes began flying in a frenzy all over the room. Just as Spike thrust into Buffy, Psyche began to cry. "No…" he groaned. Psyche woke up Orpheus who also began to wail. Spike leaned his forehead to Buffy's. "I'm going to be an extremely sexual frustrated man, aren't I?"

"For a while I imagine," she said as they detangled. 

Lose t-shirt on Buffy and sweatpants on Spike they went out and soothed their children. Remarkable taking little time to get them both back to sleep, the couple hurried back to continue to play. 

Psyche kicked Orpheus in her sleep so once again both twins were awake with very tense parents coddling them. Sleeping established the couple moved the crib into their room so they didn't have to get dressed each time the kids woke up. 

            "Do…ahh…you…think…this…will…warp…them?" Buffy panted softly as Spike and she made love with their sleeping children a few feet away. 

            "I…can't…think…" he responded. "Need…you…too…much."

            Moments away from popping off Orpheus stirred. "Spike… stop…stop…" she urged.

            "Can't… too…close," he panted.

            "Then we have to move," she said firmly. 

            Spike knew she wasn't kidding. He flipped them over so he was on the bottom. He then slid them both to the edge of the bed and stood, her legs still wrapped around him. "What are you doing?" she asked.

            "Moving," he opened the bedroom door not caring who might see them and entered the bathroom. The shower was turned on to muffle the noise, so Buffy and Spike could manage to enjoy the rest of their frolic vocally. 

            Panting and huffing Spike slid them to the floor of the tub still intimately joined with his wife water still spraying them. He gently kissed her over and over. "Attempting to go for round two," she asked quietly. 

            He smiled softly, "Just wanting to be gentle."

            "Gentle is good," she whispered as she began to move on him. 

            "Oh…god…let the babies stay asleep," he groaned. 

            Willow smiled as she and Tara cuddled the babies to keep them asleep. "Ya think we can come up with a lullaby spell for them?" Willow asked quietly. Tara looked at her skeptically. "Just something they could use in a case like now."

            "I think that could be arranged," the blond witch said sweetly.

TBC…


	8. Transition

Title: Transition

Name: Joy        

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

            For well over a month Xander became a member of the Summers household… Actually it had become the Winthrop/ Luther household, but you wouldn't know it except for the marriage certificates that were in the strong box in the basement. Xander practically had to quit his job in order to get the basement livable for Dawn and Wolf, who were having a hell of a time getting Sunnydale High School to accept Wolf without a parental permission. Somehow the fact his parents were dead didn't seem to factor too well into the school's equations. 

            None of Dawn's friends believed her when she got home and said she was married. The only thing that seemed to convince them was a detailed account of her wedding night…minus the turning into wolves of course. It also helped that Wolf was living in the basement with her. The fact that she was suddenly an aunt didn't faze anyone. Apparently the Powers took care of that little bit of knowledge with all people outside her immediate group…why no one knew. Spike was convinced it was to give him the pleasure of watching Xander freak out. 

Everyone pitched in to help set up Dawn and Wolf's little basement apartment. For the most part the two couples only had to share the kitchen and living room. The Social Welfare department was surprisingly more accepting of the situation than was expected. A new caseworker was assigned to Dawn's case only to realize that everyone in the household but Buffy was holding down some form of work and helping each other survive daily life. 

            Spike would not hear of Buffy continuing to work at DMP anymore especially since she was pregnant. She hated being Susie Homemaker but until things calmed down that's what was happening. She stayed home with Psyche and Orpheus. Dawn and Wolf attempted to work comparable afternoons so they could have evenings together and patrolling were easier. Both did their best to keep up with studies but that was lowest on the totem pole…as it had been for Buffy. Spike of course was the darling of the group having secured a job at a book publisher as an editor. He did most of his work at home so he could be near Buffy and the twins. In all life was getting normal.

            A watcher did eventually get approach Wolf about helping with the 'Spike situation'. The affairs of the house were kept a close watch on while Angel Investigations was apprised of the situation. Giles made his weekly call to say hi and complain about having the exterminators visit. All other communications to the watcher were sent via Wesley to Giles hometown and then to the former watcher. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Hello Mr. Pierson," Wolf said to the Watcher that met him for coffee before work. "I've been looking for those things you asked me to. Buffy hasn't been throwing up or seen a doctor. I've looked for home pregnancy tests." 

            "Keep looking," the man stated firmly.

            "But sir I know Buffy would never cheat on Spike," Wolf insisted as he developed a new line of questions for the Watcher.

            "You wouldn't understand."

            "I've been doing all these things on faith that somehow my actions are for the good of mankind. Could you at least explain to me why you think Buffy is going to get pregnant?" he whined.

            The man gave a slight glare and said, "A prophecy is coming that suggests that Spike and Buffy will have a child. The council just wants to make sure it is raised well. It has a great destiny."

            "Why not just tell Buffy? She has so much on her mind now that she and Spike have adopted the twins that I'm afraid if she found out she were pregnant she would have an abortion," Wolf surmised convincingly. Getting the Watcher scared might prove useful.

            "I must go," the man said quickly. "That is not something I had considered." Wolf sat back with a smile and hoped it bought them some more time. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "I can't believe you did that," Dawn chuckled with wide eyes.

            "That was Bloody Brilliant," Spike praised.

            Buffy came next to her brother in law, "You are truly a Scoobie."

            "I don't see how this helps," Xander asked quickly as they assembled at the Magic Box. 

            Spike turned to the carpenter, "Suddenly they not only have to worry about Buffy conceiving but also keeping the baby. He forced their hand. They will have to do something to ensure Buffy won't abort the baby… I'm guessing they'll come at me."

            "Why?" Willow questioned.

            "Who in this room do they think would have the most influence over Buffy?" Spike asked.

            The room split answering either Spike or Dawn. "I don't want to play spy," the teen insisted.

            "We'll just see what comes," Wolf stated.

            What came was Giles on behalf of the Council prophecy in hand. Angel Investigations had a hell of a time managing all the real information and misinformation. Giles played the perfect double agent being Buffy's concerned parent and informant to the Scoobies. 

            "Buffy you must take this seriously," Giles recited in plain view of Mr. Pierson in the park. "If this is you and Spike then you have a large responsibility ahead of you. With two other children it maybe more than you can handle."

            The slayer returned with her speech, "Giles I'm not giving my baby up if I get pregnant… I have one of the best and longest legacies as a slayer. I was raised at home. I wasn't taken away and trained. Spike and I can train this child better than any Watcher could. If they want to assign a watcher to her that's fine, but they don't get to take her away…Besides I am not wanting to get pregnant for a while."

            "You may not have a choice…PTB don't really consult us," he insisted. 

            "That is what diaphragms are for," she eyed him. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hello?"

"Wesley?" 

"Hello Rupert." Each former watcher settled into his chair. "How is it working?"

"Pierson is buying it. Wolf is ordered to puncture Buffy's diaphragm…It's quite amusing. At least now they aren't as scared that she will abort their precious dhampire," Giles stated.

Wesley nodded on the other end, "How is Buffy doing?"

"Very well. Financially things are getting better. Dawn and Wolf are training well though I have to say that flying bit is a little unnerving. Spike as Mr. Dad is truly terrifying."

"You weren't here when we thought at any moment he would attempt to breast feed them himself," Wesley said smoothly.

"Yes, but you don't have to see him actually feed them with the milk sakes that look like breasts do you?" Giles countered. 

"Very well… How do we want to proceed? Do you want to try to convince Pierson to allow Buffy to keep the baby?" Wes asked.

Rupert sighed, "I'll speak to him tomorrow." A long silence hung between them. "You realize this child could easily mean the end of the Council?"

"It is time for trial by fire Giles and you know it. The manipulation stops here with this child or no other slayer will ever be safe," Wesley preached. 

"Bring on the cleansing fire," Giles said with a sigh.

TBC…

Sorry for my absence. I've been writing a book… No really I wrote a book. I still can't believe it, but when your husband works for a publisher and has been on your case to write an original story not just fan fiction for over a year anything is possible. I will try to get back to consistent posts.  


	9. Repeat

Title: Repeat

Name: Joy        

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

            Life was becoming infinitely more complicated as time went on. Giles was staying in Sunnydale, Wolf had graduated high school, and the Council knew Buffy was pregnant just not how pregnant. Regular searches for bugs continued to turn up nothing while Giles and Wes handled the nefarious group that wished to take the baby dhampire. Psyche and Orpheus grew rapidly, so rapidly that they appeared to be toddlers quite quickly. None of the neighbors seemed to be bothered by the fact so the Scoobies assumed it was a Powers thing. Buffy was into her fourth month of pregnancy and no one had tried to kidnap her or attacked her in her dreams so life was looking up.

            "Bye Buffy," Dawn called. "Wolf and I will be out late."

            "In need of some couple time?" the older Summers asked.

            "Just a bit," Dawn said with a smile. She had decided to take the grown up role to heart. She cut her long dark locks to an inch below her shoulders. Learning from her sisters mistakes she would wear serviceable clothes on patrol rather than stylish. Wolf and Dawn had to practice not shredding their clothing completely in battle. Nothing like floating above an enemy nearly naked. 

            "Ready?" Wolf asked putting on a windbreaker as he came up the stairs. The couple smiled at each other then Buffy. "Kiss my niece and nephew for me before they go down for the night."

            "Will do," the slayer agreed as the teens left. 

            She turned and walked into the living room to see Druscilla standing before her. "Happy Birthday Buffy," she said stabbing the slayer in the belly.

            Buffy startled awake. "Bye Buffy," she heard Dawn call. She padded to the kitchen to see Wolf ascending the stairs. 

            "Ready?" he asked turning to Dawn. The couple smiled at each other then Buffy. "Kiss my niece and nephew for me before they go down for the night."

            "Don't walk out that door!" Buffy said in a quaking voice.

            "What's wrong?" Dawn asked quickly. 

            The slayer looked at them both. "Make with the flying."

            "Why?" Wolf asked.

            "I just dreamed this… Druscilla was in the living room ready to stab me."

            "SPIKE!" Dawn yelled upstairs.

            "Yeah," he replied. 

They could hear him come down the stairs. The three rounded the corner to see Druscilla standing in their midst stabbing Spike in the stomach. "Happy Birthday Buffy," she said in her sweet English accent before turning and stabbing Buffy. 

"Bye Buffy!" Dawn called from the back door.

"Oh god…." Buffy swallowed convulsively ready to vomit. "Dawn! SPIKE!" she yelled frantically. Feet came running from all directions. 

Druscilla sat on the floor in front of Buffy playing with Psyche. "Happy Birthday Buffy," the vampire said just before ripping the child's throat out. 

"NO!" Buffy sobbed. 

"Bye Buffy," Dawn's sweet voice came from the kitchen as Buffy began to weep face to face with Druscilla.

"Happy Birthday Buffy," the vampire whispered before biting the weeping slayer. 

"How long has she been like this?" Giles asked watching Buffy seize on the coach in the living room. 

Spike was pacing frantically as Dawn attempted to remain calm. "I called as soon as I found her," the teen stated. 

Tara and Willow came through the front door in a hurry. Spike strode up to them. "Please tell me you have found some new protection spell for the house and a way to bring her out of this."

The blond witch looked deep into his eyes and said, "We'll do like before and get you into her dreams."

"Can't Luv. I've already tried. Something or someone is blocking the claim."

"I meant with the circle… I take the head, Dawn takes one side, Giles takes the other and Wolf is behind while you hold her," she instructed quickly as Willow started to set up in the kitchen. Tara reached out to brush the hair out of Buffy's eyes only to get a pain in her side. She gasped. "We have to do this now."

"Why? What did you see?" Spike begged. 

"Blood…Lots of blood…over and over… Dark… English… 'Happy Birthday Buffy'" Tara recited still touching the slayer. 

Giles and Willow's eyes met, "Druscilla…"

"Spike pick her up," the watcher commanded. Spike cradled his wife in his arms. 

"The Babies!" Tara shouted. "Get the babies!"

Willow did as instructed and picked up each child. Psyche looked at Willow and said, "Mama…Nee' mama." Red's eyes went wide with fear and put each child on one hip. 

As soon as they reached the landing Psyche and Orpheus squirmed out of Willow's arms and toddled to the kitchen. " 'elp mama," Orpheus babbled to his father laying his little hands on his mother's stomach. Psyche soon followed suite. 

"Do it," Spike stated firmly. 

The ritual began while Willow watched in fear. She found the emergency phone and rang Wesley. "Angel Investigations?" Fred's voice wafted over the phone. 

"It's Will, is Wesley there?"

"Yes, but Angel and Cordelia are on their way to see you," the Texan said sweetly.

"Why?" Willow asked.

"Cordelia had a vision. They left I don't know how long ago. We just found the note."

"What does the note say?" the witch tried to be patient rubbing her forehead. 

" It says, 'Emergency in Sunnydale. Don't really know much, just a vision with Druscilla so we left. Lorn is taking care of Connor. Call soon. Angel.' Does that help?" 

Willow breathed deeply, "Yes. Can I still talk to Wesley?"

"Hello Willow."

"Hi… I need you to find me a binding spell. Something that can cut off Spike and Buffy's tie to the rest of their bloodline," the red head stated. "I'd do it myself but…I shouldn't so… Please."

"That might not be the best idea. That would cut off Angel too," the Englishman explained. 

"Let's be realistic. He's how far away? What can he honestly do?" the former witch huffed.

"Fight…Like he's doing now."

Spike stood in his living room with a grown Psyche and Orpheus on either side of him. "Hi dad," his daughter whispered.

"Didn't think you'd leave us out this time, did ya?" his son smirked at him. 

A loud crash came from the kitchen. "No!" Buffy screamed. As they went to the noise, Buffy appeared on the couch. She opened her eyes.

"Bye Buffy," Dawn's voice called.

"Not again…no more," the slayer sobbed. 

A clone of Spike came down the stairs. "What's wrong luv?" The words just exited his mouth as blood began to pour from it as well. 

"Happy Birthday Buffy," Druscilla sing songed showing the slayer the blade that had just ended her husband's life…dripping with his blood as he slid to the floor. 

Spike's eyes went big. He reached for Dru only to realize she lacked substance. Angel burst through the front door. "What are you doing here mate?" Spike asked. 

"You needed the immediate family…" the vampire said with a shrug. 

Buffy seemed totally oblivious to anything but the looped activities playing out around her. "Immediate family?" 

"Mum?" Orpheus looked to Buffy.

"I am her sire," Angel began pointing to Druscilla. "You are her childe. We fall on either side of her in the bloodline. On the other hand you are sort of Buffy's sire because you are the link to the bloodline and each twin is a childe and child of hers."

"How does this help?" Psyche asked.

"I can touch Druscilla and bring her into this dream plane… Spike can touch Buffy and bring her here as well," the older vampire explained.

"How do you know this?" Orpheus snapped.

"Pushy like your aunt… Same reason you knew to join the circle…I just know."

"Happy Birthday Buffy," Druscilla hissed in saccrin sweet voice. 

Angel grabbed hold of Dru's hair at the roots. "Daddy's not to happy with you!" he snarled in game face. 

Buffy rocked back and forth until Spike touched her face. "Hey sweetheart. We're going to get you out of here." Her eyes darted around the room in fear. "None of it was real," he cooed.

Spike let his kids comfort their mother as he turned swiftly to Druscilla. Game face on hatred in his eyes the blond vamp asked, "Are we real enough to end this?"

Druscilla's eyes went wide with fear. "How are you here?" she panted. 

"It doesn't matter Dru…all that matter's is we are," Spike hissed a mere inch from her face. 

Angel stood directly behind her before snapping her head back against his shoulder. "Look what princess was holding?" he said tossing the knife to Spike. 

He examined the weapon. "Seems pretty real to me."

Druscilla began to whimper sandwiched between the two men she had loved. "It will destroy us. I've seen it…" she hollowed.

"Maybe you," Angel whispered stroking his fingertips down her cheek.

"But not us," Spike finished in the same eerie whisper. He drew the knife across Dru's throat in a shallow cut. Blood blossomed from the skin. 

Spike looked over his shoulder at his family. "Turn away kids," he spoke solemnly. Both teens nodded huddling into their mother. 

"Goodbye Dru. I'm sorry," Angel said softly kissing her forehead. 

Tears slid from her eyes. "You will kill your Childe for this human and her childe that will destroy us."

"Yes," he answered. 

Spike touched and kissed Dru's cheek, "I will always love you in a tiny part of my heart…but not enough to let you continue. Goodbye my dark princess." At once Spike drove the knife through Druscilla's heart as Angel twisted and snapped her neck. 

The men looked into the others eyes and felt the grief that their actions bore as the vampire lay slack against Angel's chest. For long moments the vampires took each other in before laying the body down on the floor. 

"Don't turn around," Angel whispered to Spike.

            "Why?"

            "You're covered in blood." Angel started up the stairs to find the clone Spike standing motionless. Stripping the shirt from this body, Angel returned with the garment. 

"Clean up," the older vamp insisted. 

            With his back to his wife and kids, Spike carefully removed the shirt from over his head wiping the remaining blood off. New shirt over his head Spike went to his family. Angel picked Druscilla's body up and went to the door. 

            "It's over baby… It's over," Spike hushed kissing Buffy's lips. 

            "Not…" Psyche whispered.

            "Yet…" Orpheus answered. 

            TBC…


End file.
